The Best Places to Live in Malta
The Best Places to Live in Malta
Malta is blessed with sun and sea and therefore provides home seekers with great opportunities to get a house with a view, pretty close to the beaches and not too far from city life. Malta’s petite size gives any potential buyer freedom of choice, excellent flexibility and ultimately, more time on their hands.
Choosing where on the island would make a nice end-point after a day’s work is important and mostly depends on your choice of lifestyle. Malta provides a variety of habitable locations that in themselves vary from one another based on their geographical spot.
It’s hard to believe that residential areas in Malta vary so much from one another, despite the diminutive size of the country, but it’s true, there are certain curiosities that are found in the villages but are absent from city life and vice versa. Categorising Malta’s top residential areas into a list of any sort is by no means an easy task, but this is our take on the Best Places to Live in Malta.
City Life
Valletta - a category of its own and rightfully so. If you’re looking for a city full of life and culture, then Valletta and its neighbouring towns may be ideal for you. The capital city of Malta is as lively as it is vibrant, with shops, restaurants, museums and markets at your doorstep, the entertainment possibilities are endless.
Living in Valletta has its perks; like transport for instance. Travelling in and out of Valletta is pretty easy as all buses leave from and come back to the main terminus in the capital with every route. Another great perk is a cultural one. Living in the European Capital of Culture gives you the inside scoop on all the fascinating events that are to take place in 2018.
The architecture in Valletta is astounding, the stunning palazzo, the colourful gallarija and the labyrinth of streets all add to the livelihood that Valletta offers. Choosing to live in Valletta or its neighbouring towns though, does require some patience due to the many visitors that may find their way to your city. So, if you’re a people person, snatch a Valletta Townhouse up as fast as you can.
The Urban Way
Although Valletta is as urban as it gets, Sliema, St Julian’s and the neighbouring areas are just as dynamic. Living in either of the seaside cities give you access to some of Malta’s greatest shopping centres, restaurants, rocky beaches and even bars. Paceville is located in St Julian’s and is the hub for nightlife on the island.
If you’re young or young at heart, the energy and hustle of Sliema and St Julian’s might be your ideal pick. Housing in these quarters is generally modern and well equipped with all the basic amenities as well as some stunning views. Adorned with a wide promenade along the sea, both St Julian’s and Sliema are ideal for an early morning run or a brisk walk after work. In the Summer, you’ll seldom find yourself walking alone on this lively promenade, whether it’s a walk home from work or a quick trip to a bistro for some lunch, Sliema and St Julian’s will have you covered.
Central Situation
Sometimes choosing where to live is all about accessibility. Even though Malta’s small size in no way taints your flexibility to travel to and from your home, finding a central area could be a good idea depending on your lifestyle.
Mosta, Birkirkara, Attard and the surroundings are situated in the centre of the island and provide a halfway point to the North and the South. Living in Mosta is extremely convenient due to the major supermarkets, banks, shops, restaurants and a never ending list of facilities located in the area. Plus it’s a reasonably priced area away from tourists and the slightly hectic life.
The only downside to living in the Centre may be traffic. More often than not, people travelling to and from their homes in the North head towards the Centre, Sliema, St Julian’s or Valletta for work and therefore traffic congestion may be something you will need to estimate in your daily commute. Finding the right time to beat the traffic will do the trick.
Down South
Living in the south is wonderful. The sea, the slower pace and the extremely well priced property can really egg you on to set up camp in the fishing villages (Marsaxlokk, Marsascala or Bir?ebbuga) or maybe even in the rural parts of the island (?ejtun, Qrendi or ?abbar).
Property in these areas is more affordable so if your budget is restricted, you can probably land a really good deal down south. Imagine sporting a three bedroomed House of Character in ?ejtun for half the price you’d pay for an apartment in St Julian’s. Talk about a steal!
The lifestyle in the south is generally set at a lower pace, giving you time to appreciate your surroundings, enjoy your free time and focus on what’s really important in life.
Up North
In the North, housing is pretty much varied. You can find a villa, apartment, Townhouse of House of Character rather easily as a lot of the authenticity of this area has been preserved while the ever-present development of urbanisation has crept its way into areas such as Rabat or St Paul’s Bay.
Seeing as Rabat is in the North West of the island and St Paul’s Bay in the North; some differences do apply, such as; the countryside and the sea respectively. Living in Rabat is magical - the countryside, the pastizzi and lest we forget Mdina as your neighbouring city. The only aspect of Maltese culture that is slightly missed is the sea but a short drive further north will take you to ?nejna Bay - an idyllic spot to watch the sun go down after a refreshing swim.
St Paul’s Bay on the other hand has an abundance of sea and a spectacular view of St Paul’s Islands, Comino and Gozo. The Northern hub for entertainment is just a stone’s throw away too. Qawra and Bugibba are two of Malta’s happening areas, especially in the Summer - the promenades are packed with people while the bars and restaurants serve up some exceptional treats from an early morning English Breakfast to a late-night cocktail with friends - you’re spoilt for choice.
The Sister Island
There’s no way we can talk of the vitality of the Maltese Islands without mentioning Gozo. The greener, more peaceful and more laid-back version of Malta. If you’re looking to take it easy and enjoy the simpler things in life then our sister island is your go-to.
In Gozo, you’ll be able to find so much variety and diversity in residential areas all of which are a tad more relaxed than Malta’s cosmopolitan life and thus far a whole lot cheaper. The property market in Gozo has not yet boomed, making prices for residential areas slightly more affordable.
If you’re on your way to retirement or an expat relocating to our Mediterranean islands then why not take a look at what Gozo has to offer? You never know, you might be happily surprised.
Wherever you choose to live on the island (or on our smaller, greener island), nothing is too far or too out-of-the-way, you’ll find yourself driving down South for lunch on a Sunday or heading to the bustling Sliema promenade for a quick drink after work on a regular basis, despite the traffic or distance from your Northern seaside apartment because everything is so close. End of the day, home is where the heart is but there’s no harm in straying away from the nest every once in a while.